TRADITIONAL CEREMONY OF THE UNGA

MUSUBILWA  MPEMBA CEREMONY  OF THE UNGA PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA

Picture courtesy of Lusaka Times

The newly-delimitated Lunga district of Zambia  recently hosted the seventh edition of Musubilwa Mpemba ceremony on Saturday 30^th June 2018. 

This is an annual event that is held in commemoration of tribal war victories of the Unga people, otherwise known as Aba-Unga, against the Bisa and Bemba tribes. It takes place at Matongo in Nsamba chiefdom with a cultural display of pomp and pride.

Located in Luapula province of Zambia, Lunga is surrounded by four neighbouring districts, i.e. Samfya in Luapula, Mpika in Muchinga, Lavushi Manda in Central and Chilubi in Northern Province.

 Lunga is a natural recipient of fresh water and other aquatic life from big rivers Chambeshi, Lumbatwa and Lukulu which water also outflows into Luapula river. It is also surrounded by Lakes Bangweulu and Chale which supplies a lot of fish to the area. 

It is no wonder the  swamps are home to more than 86 fish species, 33 of which are commercially exploited. It is estimated that 30% of fish consumed on the Copperbelt of Zambia come from Lunga. 

All the four Unga chiefs namely, Senior Chief Kalima Nkonde, Chiefs Kasoma Lunga, Nsamba and Bwalya Mponda play host to hundreds of people that include traditional leaders, politicians, tourists and local traditionalists. 

On hand are Unga sub-chiefs from subjective islands within Lunga namely; Mweshi from Isenga, Kambala from Chisale, Ponga from Chafye and Milambo from Mung’omba. These constitute a complete Unga ‘s bena ng’oma dynasty which is fundamentally matrilineal.

Among notable guests may be other bena ng’oma chiefs from Ng’umbo thus Senior Chief Mwewa, Chiefs Mwansakombe, Chitembo, mbulu and Mulongwe who are blood relatives of the Unga chiefs. Many of them are usually present to show solidarity to their brothers!

Visitors receive a very warm welcome by the Unga people who are largely fishermen and generally hospitable and generous. (You may be treated to a sumptuous meal of cassava meal complemented with seasonal delicacy of kwamba, the grass eating water turtle).

 Some unique traits a first- time visitor will note are: our way of greeting. We normally shout a respective greeting to people who happen to pass near us, “Mwapolenipo   mukwai!” If close to us, you may have to deal with a variety of hand shakes. 

Secondly, the visitor will find that we have unisex names. For example, Mwaba John could either be male or female. We all answer to the father’s first or nick name, which in most cases is English! Never be surprised to find someone  named Rachel Albert who cannot utter a word in English language!  

Our dialect is a mixture of languages mainly Bemba from north Zambia, Bisa from part of northen and central Zambia and almost extinct Batwa, Ushi and Kabende from Luapula province.

Like all inhabitants of Zambia, the Unga people migrated from Congo around 1700-1800. From the ancestry of Kasolwe Chabala which they share with Ng’umbo Chiefs, they initially settled in Chulung’oma in Luwingu district. 

It is said that one of Chabala’s adventurous grandson and hunter, Mwelwa Mfumu, left Chulung’oma on some of his hunting expeditions and discovered among other places, perfect hunting islands at Ibinda, later known as Ncheta island which is now capital of Bwalya Mponda chiefdom. Here, he found the place  rich in wildlife but poorly arable to support meaningful agriculture. 

Currently, other islands in the area under Bwalya Mponda chiefdom include Chafye with sub-chief Ponga, Mutapwe, Mbo Ya Lubambe and Chibambo.

 Mwelwa proceeded to discover more islands thus; Lunga which is capital of Kasoma Lunga. Under this chiefdom is Chisale with sub-chief Kambala and Chibulu islands.

He later went to find more islands, now under Nsamba chiefdom namely; Nsalushi, Matongo the capital, Mutwamina, Kabulu and Mandwe islands.

He finally settled at Musumba, capital of Kalimankonde, which means farmer of dirges. Kalimankonde is a nickname given to the chief because his subjects could not go out and farm but attend funerals of multitudes who died from an outbreak of typhoid. Vassals believed this was a heavy penalty caused by the chief's gross negligence of traditional principles and observances. 

Subjective islands to Kalimankonde are Isenga with sub-chief Mweshi, Bucinda and Mung’omba with sub-chief Milambo. 

Kalimankonde is officially recognized as the Senior Chief of the Unga people to date.

 The entire swamp area, covering about 5,000 km^2, of the Bangweulu Wetlands has a population of just over 50,000. It was named Lunga, which literally means to hunt, due to abundant wildlife and suitability for hunting expeditions. 

The wars that brought about Musubilwa Mpemba ceremony were therefore a result of the Unga defending themselves from invading tribes that wanted to displace them from their newly found treasured flora and fauna. 

The ceremony was revived in 2012 after decades in oblivion.

Lunga is reachable through canals by dugout canoes, boats and vessels with just about 40km to 60Km between islands.

The Musubilwa Mpemba ceremony, which is a way of seeking blessings from ancestors,  include traditional performances and paying tribute to ancestors by all the Unga chiefs. The ceremony has become an important economic event that also brings the Unga people together. 

You can learn more about the  people, their way of life and beliefs through some interesting stories they tell.

This blog  will try to tell stories, myths and interesting adages of the Ba-unga, as gathered by this author. 

You can do well to make a date with the organizers of the ceremony which takes place every last Saturday of June each and every year!